Boris Johnson: UK defence spending to reach 2.5pc of GDP by end of decade

Britain will boost its defence spending to 2.5pc of its GDP by the end of this decade, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday, committing to bolster the country’s military budget after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His comments came after Nato branded Russia the biggest "direct threat" to Western security and agreed plans to modernise Ukraine's beleaguered armed forces. "We need to invest for the long term in vital capabilities like future combat air, whilst simultaneously adapting to a more dangerous and more competitive world," Mr Johnson told a news conference at a Nato summit in Madrid on Thursday, which was dominated by the Ukraine conflict. "The logical conclusion of the investments on which we propose to embark, these decisions, is that we'll reach 2.5pc of GDP on defence by the end of the decade,” he said. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden also outlined the extra financial and military support that the US has given and had pledged to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/06/30/ukraine-news-russia-war-nato-summit-madrid-finland-sweden/ #borisjohnson #defence #budget #UK #nato #biden Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.